How do you afford it?

[Snyd]

If I didn't live here in Alaska I wouldn't be sheep hunting, at least in Alaska. I'd be hunting whatever was available in the state I lived in. I know guys spend 15K+ on these hunts but to me it wouldn't be worth spending that. I don't knock it, it's just not a trade I'd make. Heck, t this point I haven't been able to convince myself to spend hundreds+ on a fly-in! I usually walk. 2 years a friend with a plane flew us in, that was cool.

Having said all that, if I can only go on one hunt per year it's sheep hunting. At least as long as I can make it happen. At this point the 54 year old body looks like it's up for at least one more! Headed out tomorrow for a 10 day hunt. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have been able to do it for the last 10 years. Each year I approach it as though it could be my last, one day it will be.

 

[_Nick_]

By the above referenced definition in post #36, I guess 99.99999% of us live to sleep and work. That is sad.

Haha, alright alright. Let's exclude sleep from the definition. Work is included, but only to the extent that funds in surplus of what is required to personally feed and shelter you go to something else. So, what do those surplus funds go to? If they go to supporting your kids and wife primarily, then perhaps you 'live for your family'. Not a bad situation to be in.

gelton, it seems to me that you'd fall into the (2a) category. You really really like to hunt and specifically to hunt elk. It's a matter of semantics at this point.

 

[Kotaman]

PA 50...What a timely video post of JJ. I was on that hunt the same time as JJ and am returning to the Brooks tomorrow to hunt with his guide Harold. I had never seen this video. I'll take your video post as a "good omen" I was fortunate enough to do a couple hunts with JJ and we were scheduled to do Stone Sheep together in 2015. His passing is still a shock to me and a testament of "do it while you can, 'cause you just never know"...Thanks.

 

[PA 5-0]

PA 50...What a timely video post of JJ. I was on that hunt the same time as JJ and am returning to the Brooks tomorrow to hunt with his guide Harold. I had never seen this video. I'll take your video post as a "good omen" I was fortunate enough to do a couple hunts with JJ and we were scheduled to do Stone Sheep together in 2015. His passing is still a shock to me and a testament of "do it while you can, 'cause you just never know"...Thanks.

I am very sorry for the loss of your friend. A lot of guys on Bowsite spoke VERY highly of John's character, hunting expertise and willingness to share that expertise. Almost 4yrs ago on a Sunday afternoon, I kissed my fairly healthy Father goodbye and told him I loved him as he left my son's First Communion party. He suddenly passed in his sleep the next night. Here on Sunday, gone on Tuesday, and the harsh fact is the world didn't miss a beat. He always dreamed about us doing a sheep hunt in AK. I vowed at his funeral to do this hunt no matter what. I booked it 6 months later and will be wheels up tomorrow. Just do it "cause you just never know'. Best of luck with that Stone hunt. Dan

 

[TWP]

Good luck and be safe, I know your father will absolutely be with you every step of the way.

I am very sorry for the loss of your friend. A lot of guys on Bowsite spoke VERY highly of John's character, hunting expertise and willingness to share that expertise. Almost 4yrs ago on a Sunday afternoon, I kissed my fairly healthy Father goodbye and told him I loved him as he left my son's First Communion party. He suddenly passed in his sleep the next night. Here on Sunday, gone on Tuesday, and the harsh fact is the world didn't miss a beat. He always dreamed about us doing a sheep hunt in AK. I vowed at his funeral to do this hunt no matter what. I booked it 6 months later and will be wheels up tomorrow. Just do it "cause you just never know'. Best of luck with that Stone hunt. Dan

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Dang it! After reading this thread I guess I am going to have to change my screen name.

On a side note Luke, I have never taken anything you have said as you thinking you're better than anyone else.

 

[Buster]

This thread just goes to show the emotions (and quite a variety), that simply talking about sheep hunting can stir up. Actually sheep hunting, well...

Good luck to all the lucky ones going early.

 

[JFKinYK]

This is a tough one I've been dealing with. Even though I can hunt dalls sheep for a $20 OTC tag, it comes with a $3000 hunt cost. There are no walk in areas here. Can I afford that every year? Sure, but I can't bring myself to spend that much cash on hunting every year. I'm staying out of the sheep mountains this year for the first time in three years, and I'm starting to second guess my choice! But once moose season kicks in it'll be ok.

I'll echo Snyd. I can't comprehend plunking down 5 figures for anything but a vehicle or a house. I've never hunted as a non-resident in my life, and will continue to take advantage of my backyard hunting opportunities, wherever that may be, to keep the freezer full.

I may as well wade into the live to hunt thing. I never understand people with such a narrow focus. Hunting is cool. I love it. But it's a big world out there and I sure as heck want to enjoy many parts of it. Off grid living, paddling, camping, exotic travel, diving, the list goes on. I'd rather spend some money on that stuff than hunting sometimes, but we all make our own choices in life.

 

[7stw]

Well living in Oklahoma and having a great job that I love makes packing up and moving a tough choice. Instead I've been applying for a non res wyoming tag since I was 18 I'm 32 now and still no tag. I set up a separate account just for my dream hunt. Set some saving goals along the way and will hunt bc or Alaska for sheep in 5 years started saving 200 a month now I put in closer to 1k a month. I'm also fortunate to go elk hunting most years. I've pieced together most if not all the needed gear along the way. Next goal after a sheep hunt will be a British Columbia mountain goat hunt. I'm lucky to have a significant other who understands my obsession and is supportive and willing to sacrifice right along with me. I guess to the op you just need to decide how big a priority chasing a ram is with everything else in your life and set small goals and make it happen.

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

^^^^^^^ Well played. If it's a goal make it a priority and work towards it even if it takes years, if it's not worth it to you move on and forget about it. 7stw looks like you have it figured out.

 

[tuffcity]

After reading through the threads I realize (again) how fortunate I really am when it comes to hunting and family relations/responsibilities in general. As mentioned by the other BC'ers on here pretty much everything but grizzly, bison and Dall sheep are OTC, with pretty good seasons.

My wife also loves to hunt and our sheep/goat/caribou trips are our "together vacations" (for lack of a better description) as are our spring bear hunts and November whitetail excursions. I suspect I'll drop about $3K (all in for both of us) on our fly in trip this year but we're going in farther than usual.

When I factor in that our 2 oldest kids have said they want to be responsible for their own university expenses (the 20 yr old is in her 4th year of her nursing degree and the 19 yr old went to the oil patch instead of school) I see that I'm definitely on the luckier side of the equation. I was a high country hunting addict before kids slowed that down considerably but things are on the upswing again, and while hunting isn't my sole reason for being, it sure is nice to have the time and opportunity to get back to it.

RC

 

[Buster]

After reading through the threads I realize (again) how fortunate I really am when it comes to hunting and family relations/responsibilities in general. As mentioned by the other BC'ers on here pretty much everything but grizzly, bison and Dall sheep are OTC, with pretty good seasons.

My wife also loves to hunt and our sheep/goat/caribou trips are our "together vacations" (for lack of a better description) as are our spring bear hunts and November whitetail excursions. I suspect I'll drop about $3K (all in for both of us) on our fly in trip this year but we're going in farther than usual.

When I factor in that our 2 oldest kids have said they want to be responsible for their own university expenses (the 20 yr old is in her 4th year of her nursing degree and the 19 yr old went to the oil patch instead of school) I see that I'm definitely on the luckier side of the equation. I was a high country hunting addict before kids slowed that down considerably but things are on the upswing again, and while hunting isn't my sole reason for being, it sure is nice to have the time and opportunity to get back to it.

RC

Sounds like you've got it figured out. Hope my wife and I can be doing big trips together once our 2 girls get older (6 and 3, so a ways to go).

In the mean time, we live right in bighorn country with OTC tags. We can do day trips for sheep for next to nothing. The hardest part is lining up a babysitter. Truly blessed.

 

[MatSuDano]

$$$ are the easy part. You can save your money. Time is what gets me these days, with a 2 year old and a 3 year old, there is never any time. I get one hunt a year, if I can swing it with my work schedule. This year I'm lucky enough to be doing a walk-in sheep hunt. Next year's already booked with a brown bear hunt. You make your trades - with my limited time at home, I choose to spend it with my children, doing stuff that they can do with me (catching stocker rainbows out of the local lake, shooting bunnies with a kid on my back, hiking the local mountain range to let the kids pick berries....). That is my thrill now, introducing my young'uns to the great outdoors, in the hopes that one day, when they're old enough, going on a hunt with Dad is something that they'll want to do and get excited about. And what a blast to see them experience all that stuff for the first time. Do I miss being a bachelor, with freedom to hunt whenever I wasn't working? Sure. Would I trade what I have now for that freedom? Never.

 

[MatSuDano]

Didn't mention that I work out of town at a remote site, and am only home for half the year. Definitely blessed to call Alaska home, though. And even more blessed that my children get to grow up in the last frontier.

 

[Buglebrush]

" Live to _____ " is really just a figure of speech to most people. I agree with Lukes point about living for what we are actually doing. I absolutely love LOVE elk hunting, and think about it year round, but I " Live for" my family, my God, and all the everyday joys of life. If I only "Live" for the month of September I will regret it someday. That being said Elk season opens next week!!!!!!

 

[Alaskan89]

Alaska allowed me the reality of being able to hunt sheep without paying the big price tag of a guided sheep hunt. If it weren't for resident sheep tags (and free at that) I doubt I would have ever been able to afford to hunt sheep. I've never hunted out of state and everything I have taken over the last 40+ years was DIY.

Any time I plan on doing a hunt that requires laying out a signifcant amount of cash, I do what most everyone else does, I save for it. The most expensive hunt I have ever done was a float hunt for moose in 2007, that hunt cost me $3700m can't even imagine what that hunt would cost me today. I was born a hunter and will go out the same way.

 

[cwh]

I'm a cheap SOB in a lot of ways so that I can afford to play in the mountains. You find/save the money where you can. Living in AK is awesome, and I'd do it regardless of the hunting, but they also pay you to do an annual sheep hunt. (Or they pay you to have two cups of coffee at starbucks every day, depending on how you look at it).

My previous sheep partner has got to average 80 hours/week at work. He only hunts sheep. My current sheep partner works side jobs all summer, doesn't even fish - just saves money for hunting. If it is what you really want, you find a way. That being said, kids are outrageously expensive since we passed all these child labor laws.... I could hardly fault a guy for wanting to send his kids to college more than he wants to go sheep hunting.

PS: Luke, I live to hunt sheep.

 

[cwh]

Side note: Pulling the trigger is the expensive part of a guided sheep hunt, and accounts for about .1% of what the trip is about. If you want to be in sheep country, hike miles through alders, breathe fresh mountain air, cross rivers in dangerous places, carry stupid loads on your back across steep/loose rock and come home sore for weeks with a huge smile on your face and some really cool pictures, you can probably do that for the price of airfare.

Hell, if you can pull the time off, you could get paid to do it. Hint: You'll make less than your day job most likely.

Talk your rich/kidless friends into going on a guided trip and tag along as a non-shooter. Bug everyone you know that sheep hunts, become the guy that they want to have with them when they pull that once in a lifetime tag. PM Luke until he says you can follow him on one of his trips. (Carry a GPS and send me coordinates.)

 

[bcimport]

I will accept applications for anyone that wants to play Sherpa on a stone sheep hunt.

 

[luke moffat]

SPM Luke until he says you can follow him on one of his trips. (Carry a GPS and send me coordinates.)

HAHA....I assure you all you will gain from said coordinates is where NOT to go. That said going with a couple sheep hunting here in a couple days for 4 days for so. Should be a great time and no pressure for me to even kill anything as its party draw tags they have and Becca and I are just going along as pack mules. IMO its as good as being first up on the chopping block to shoot one. I just like being in the sheep mountains and my drive to be "the shooter" is there but certainly not priority. I just like to go and I have been blessed to take 2 sheep and Lord willing will have a chance to get one or two more before its all over but helping others get animals off the hill is just as if not more of a challenge and rewarding for me.